Last week a federal district court in California issued a nationwide injunction that may have significant impacts on exploration activities within National Forests. For years activities that were categorically excluded from review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) were also exempt from U.S. Forest Service regulations concerning public notice, comment, and administrative appeals (36
Regulation
Administration’s Proposed Mining Tax Threatens Health of U.S. Minerals Mining
By Mike Mills on
As the stalled economy pushes Washington closer to a decision on how to manage America’s wealth of mineral resources, two paths have emerged.
One offers the possibility of increased domestic minerals production and the potential for long-term growth. Through legislation that would assess America’s mineral needs, we can maximize opportunities in mining, one of the…
Proposed California Legislation To Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing Stalls In State Senate With A New Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Poised for Introduction In 2012
By Mike Mills on
Falling victim to a Legislature pre-occupied with massive budget deficit issues and last minute wrangling over the Governor’s corporate tax package on out-of-state companies, AB 591, California’s legislative foray into the charged arena of hydraulic fracturing regulation, stalled in the State Senate’s Appropriations Committee. In its current form, the bill embodied a fairly comprehensive…
CEQA, Mining and Vested Rights. Looking Back on the California Supreme Court’s Decision in Communities for a Better Environment v. South Coast Air Quality Management District.
By Tom Henry on
One year ago the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Communities for a Better Environment v. South Coast Air Quality Management District (2010) 48 Cal. 4th 310. Since our blog wasn’t up at the time I thought it would be a good idea to look back on that decision and how it impacts mine…
Small Steps in the Right Direction – Two New Laws Aim to Start Fixing Problems with CEQA
By Mike Mills on
On September 30, 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law two bills, AB 231 and SB 1456, both of which took effect immediately as urgency statutes. Both laws address two significant burdens that the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) places on the mining industry: the complex CEQA review process and the abuses of CEQA through…